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Impact assessment of the Future Directions programme for higher education in Wales

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Impact assessment of the Future Directions programme for higher education in Wales

The Future Directions programme for higher education in Wales has achieved considerable impact at individual, institutional and sector levels, according to an impact assessment report produced for the HEA.

The Future Directions programme encompasses the quality enhancement work being carried out in the Welsh higher education sector, and has provided constructive and detailed response to the Welsh Government’s For our future: the 21st Century Higher Education Strategy and Plan for Wales. Its aim is to enhance specific areas of the student learning experience through encouraging academic and support staff and students collectively to share current good practice and to generate ideas and models for innovation in learning and teaching.

The report draws on source information from working group documentation, event feedback, stakeholder interviews, websites, and case studies, to provide an overview and assessment of the impact of Future Directions throughout 2010–2014. Using the HEA Impact Assessment Framework to gauge impact, the assessment concludes that Future Directions has achieved positive and significant impact within the higher education sector on networking, satisfaction, outcomes and the strategic development of learning and teaching. The report also highlights that Future Directions has earned the respect of stakeholders within the higher education sector, as demonstrated through key policy statements and guidelines from Welsh Government, the QAA and HEFCW.